Photo motion is the process of photographing an object multiple times, in series, while the object continually changes position. The resulting photographic images are then arranged sequentially. When the images are viewed in rapid succession, the object appears to move. The smaller the increments between the taking of the photographic images during the movement of the object, the more natural the animated moving object appears as the images are sequentially run.
Photo motion processes are currently being used to exhibit products on interne websites. A series of photographic images are manually taken of different side views of a product. These images are then aligned sequentially and run in succession to provide the appearance that the product is rotating. The process is flawed and produces inconsistent results in that images at critical vantage points are missed and views are lost. Such techniques result in animations which skip or show haltingly moving images of the rotating product. They also cannot accurately present the top, or even perspective views of the product.
Taking video images of moving products presents its own disadvantages. Most notably, the viewer cannot pause and zoom in on a location while watching a video. As a practical matter, video taping all views of a continuously moving product to create a smooth video reproduction, is difficult and expensive, requiring excessive man-hours to accomplish.